Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Ilsanman]

Last week at Costco, I saw a Canadian guy that I had previously seen on a Korean TV show. Let me give you a short synposis.

He is living in Ilsan with his 3 kids, married to a Korean lady, etc. The show focused on his attitude. he doesn't hate Korea whatsoever. He just claimed to be stressed out with the 'Way-gook-in' pointing at him on the street and the like. He said he doesn't like to go out in public in his free time because it bothers him. It presented it like it was his problem and he has to 'get over it'.

So when I mentioned it to him at Costco, he told me that was not the main focus of the show, and why he applied to go on it. The topic was supposed to be about how he has trouble communicating with his kids becuase they don't speak English well. When they were filming it, he made one mention of being bothered by the neighbourhood xenophobes and they ran with the ball.

In the end, they edited the footage, totally changed the focus, and made a perfectly nice guy look like a real asshole on Korean TV.

Dude, you got sparkled!!

[rakuan]

[ChinaBoy]

what kind of father can't talk to his kids? I've got to think he's not a "perfectly nice guy" as your 3 minute talk to him in Costco proved to you.

[RJjr]

[tzechuk]

I really think it depends on the parents.

At 3.5, my daughter is fluent in 3 languages - Korean, English and Cantonese. She can switch between them as easily as we say A B C.

If the parents are consistently talking with their kids in only one (or 2) language, the kids aren't going to have any problem communicating.

[bobranger]

Media sensationalizes to suit their needs. I would be cautious as well.

[sistersarah]

I saw the program you're talking about. Personally, I don't know how he can go through life without being able to communicate with his three children. The oldest looked to be about 8 years old (?)... I mean, come on -- he's had years to see this problem coming. The oldest girl would only speak Korean to him and he'd just have this resigned look on his face. It seemed to me (or at least the show made it look like) his own kids didn't respect him.

I agree that the show made him look like a complete idiot. It was embarrassing to watch. I wonder why he agreed to do it -- what a mistake.

[VirginIslander]

It has its advantages. Picture the father and daughter at the store.

Child: Satang moko-ship-payo.

Dad: I dont understand.

Child: Satang-moko-ship-payo.

Dad: I dont understand Korean.

Dad saves money.

[matthews_world]

[quote="tzechuk"]

At 3.5, my daughter is fluent

[quote]


Hmm, I gotta see that one. How can a 3 year old kid be fluent?

Maybe communicable but certainly not fluent. Your daughter has a lifetime of experience and learning to experience before she's, as you say, fluent.

I enjoy dating Korean girls from time to time but if I can't hold an intelligible conversation with her and if they don't have enough English to be able to connect then she's not for me.

I'd go bored in the skull if I had a sig other who spoke English at a non-fluent level.

[victorology]

[jdog2050]

[Scotticus]

[Spliff's Son]

That's his choice and his life. Who the hell are you to criticize?

[fusionbarnone]

[thiophene]

I didn't watch the show but I can understand there always being a barrier with parent/child communication when there's a second language involved. I'm fluent in Farsi, my mom's fluent in Farsi, but every once and a while we want to smash our heads into the wall cause we don't quite understand what/why they're saying what eachother is saying. Sure this could be a generational thing too but I always attributed it to us communicating using second languages which I don't care how familiar you're with, you'll nevr quite understand evrything. And while the child is young, it's even worse, but I guess the bright side is it'll just get better. I presume this makes no sense.